The Costa del Sol is found in the province of Malaga and stretches along the coastline for 159 km from Manilva to Nerja. Most of this coastline is composed of beautiful beaches of all types. Malaga is the capital city, with a metropolitan population of about a million. East of Malaga there are the cities of Rincon de la Victoria, Torre del Mar, Velez-Malaga, Algarrobo, Torrox and Nerja. West of Malaga one can find the cities of Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Mijas Costa, Fuengirola, Marbella, San Pedro de Alcantara, and Estepona. A bit inland are the famous cities of Antequera and Ronda. The Costa del Sol is Spain’s best resort for several reasons.
The Costa del Sol has Spain’s best climate. The average temperature throughout the year is 18.5 C. There are at least 300 days of sunshine, and thus the title of Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun). The winters are the mildest in Europe and there is plenty of tourism then, when northern Europeans want to escape their snow clad countries. There is little rain in winter, and even if it rains, the skies clear afterward and the sun shines again. Truly the climate is ideal in the Costa del Sol. Two cities on the Costa del Sol, Marbella and Torrox Costa, have the best microclimates in Europe, with surrounding mountains protecting these cities from cold, northerly winds. The mild winters are appreciated by those who come to live here permanently, or those who want to spend winters here and return to their countries in spring. So winters are mild and summers are cooler than inland Spain.
The Costa de Sol can be divided into two sections: East and West, with Malaga city at its centre. The eastern Costa del Sol is much shorter, stretching from the provincial capital as far as Nerja, where it meets the Costa Tropical of Granada province.
The western Costa de Sol is the section of coast which curves round southwards towards Gibraltar, and includes all the major resorts such as Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Benalmadena, plus of course, the ritzy celeb-magnet of Marbella. This area has a very international feel, with visitors and residents from all over the world.